Posts Tagged ‘gaming’

Toshiba has unveiled a new 8-inch tablet running Windows 8.1. Called the Encore, the tablet is one of the first devices to run the latest version of Windows, which won’t be released until midOctober. The tablet is sleeker than those in Toshiba’s Excite range, but still sports a fairly thick bezel and rounded corners. The version I saw had a silver plastic rear casing, but I’m told the final product will feature a dimpled texture. On the back of the tablet is an 8-megapixel camera and it is joined by a 2-megapixel camera on the front. At the top of the Encore are two microphones with beamforming technology that drowns out background noise, making it ideal for video calling. As the Encore runs full-fat Windows 8, it comes with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 pre-installed, making it ideal for those looking for a tablet they can also do serious work on. Toshiba thinks people will primarily want to use the tablet in portrait mode, and while this is usually the case with 8-inch tablets, Microsoft Office programs — one of the biggest draws of the tablet — tend to be easier to use on a landscape screen. Xbox SmartGlass can also be found on the tablet, allowing gamers to use the tablet as a second screen to adjust settings and the like during gameplay. The Encore costs £249 and comes with six months free access to Xbox Music and a month of free international Skype calls thrown in. Toshiba also showed off a 13-inch tablet-laptop hybrid called the Satellite W30t (know as the Click in the US). In the detachable tablet is a 5-hour battery and in the keyboard dock is another 5-hour battery, giving the laptop a total of 10 hours of battery life, according to Toshiba. A full range of ports and slots are available in the base, with Micro-USB, Micro-HDMI and microSD slots also included within the tablet. It starts at £599 for the AMD and £699 for the Intel version, both with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive. The other new device from Toshiba is the NB10, a Windows 8 notebook with an 11.5-inch touchenabled screen. It’s a sturdy-looking, smart little laptop costing only £329, making it ideal for hose wanting the full Windows 8 touch experience on a budget.

Sony has just announced the VPL-VW500ES 4K projector at IFA 2013 in Berlin, and though it didn’t name a price, said it’ll be much cheaper than its first 4K projector. Before you start re-arranging your theater room, though, the original VPL-VW1000ES cost a cool $25,000, so “cheaper” might be a relative term. If you’re undeterred, though, you’ll get full 4,096 x 2,160 4K resolution thanks to native 4K SXRD panels — technology that Sony lifted from its commercial cinema projectors. Other perks include 1,700 ANSI-lumen brightness (compared to 2,000 for the VW1000ES), a 200,000:1 contrast ratio, “Super Resolution” Blu-ray to 4K upscaling, Motionflow tech for less blur, and support for HDMI 2.0 — which permits 60fps 4K. Again, Sony hasn’t mentioned a price yet, but we did see it at a French retailer for 10,000 euros, meaning a $10,000 price seems feasible. Sony also dropped a Full HD 3D model, the VPL-HW55ES projector, which replaces the VPLHW50ES as its top 1080p dog while using the same SXRD tech. It boasts 1,700 ANSI-lumens, a 120,000:1 contrast ratio, a 5,000 hour lamp, an optical engine upgrade and Reality Creation technology. Both projectors offer wireless HDMI compatibility, and will arrive at some point next month. For more minutiae, check the PR after the break. Show full PR text Sony delivers a fully immersive home cinema experience with new 4K and Full HD 3D home Sony announced two market-leading home cinema projectors, the 4K VPL-VW500ES and a Full HD 3D home projector, the VPL-HW55ES. Both projectors are designed to bring the high quality images of a big screen cinema experience into the home via the power of Sony’s cutting edge technology. 4K VPL-VW500ES home cinema projector The VPL-VW500ES home cinema projector has been introduced to expand Sony’s 4K home cinema range. It will sit alongside the VPL-VW1000ES, the world’s first 4K native home cinema projector, launched in January 2012. The VPL-VW500ES offers DCI based 4096 x 2160 resolution, delivering the very highest quality 4K content. The 4K experience is created using native 4K SXRD panels that utilise Sony’s 4K expertise from the professional digital cinema market. In addition, the projector has the latest HDMI standard, HDMI 2.0, to accommodate 4K/60P* content, which allows action to appear smoother, without the need for the electronic enhancement of pixels. Supporting 4K native resolution, the VPL-VW500ES also features an exclusive Super Resolution 4K upscaler called Reality Creation. This dramatically enhances high definition 1080p content, allowing viewers to enjoy 4K images with their existing Blu-ray Discs, even in 3D. Furthermore, the VPL-VW500ES has an original 4K up-scaling algorithm designed for “Mastered in 4K” Blu-ray Discs from Sony Picture Entertainment, which enable the viewer to enjoy more accurate 4K native picture quality. The VPL-VW500ES has 1,700 ANSI-lumen brightness and a 200,000:1 contrast ratio which delivers a sharper picture quality. The projector has rich colour reproduction thanks to TRILUMINOS display technology, an enhanced optical engine design and auto-calibration features. Its manual colour correction tool allows users to adjust the hue, saturation and brightness to obtain a picture quality customised to their tastes. Motionflow picture technology also works to deliver clearer, less blurry images when watching fast-paced, cinematic action. The VPL-VW500ES is compact and has a front air exhaust cooling system. Its flexibility means it is cable of projecting large distances without having to alter the projector’s position in the room. The projector uses a 2.06 zoom powered lens with a wide shift range which removes the requirement for additional platform extensions in ceiling mounts. A built-in RF transmitter provides further installation flexibility with a strong wireless signal for wider coverage. Full HD 3D VPL-HW55ES projector The Full HD 3D VPL-HW55ES projector is the next generation of Sony’s industry-acclaimed and multiple-award winning VPL-HW50ES, announced at IFA in 2012. Enhanced light efficiency and an optimised optical block, enables the VPL-HW55ES projector to reach 1,700 ANSI lumen brightness, delivering clearer images in well-lit environments. The VPL-HW55ES also has an approximately 5,000 hour long lasting lamp due to its improved lamp cooling system. An optical engine upgrade, contrast enhancer technology and Advanced Iris3 technology enable a dynamic contrast ratio of more than 120,000:1. This increases black and white levels without diminishing peak brightness to maximise detail during darker scenes. Additional features such as Sony’s Bright Cinema and Bright TV mode, with SXRD panels, enhances the 3D image even further. The projector also has Sony’s Reality Creation technology. The VPL-HW55ES has a built-in 3D IR transmitter. It is also compatible with an external 3D RF transmitter which provides further 3D synchronisation stability and coverage. Both projectors have wireless HDMI compatibility as optional accessories. This enables them to receive a video signal from Blu-ray players and game consoles, allowing the AV environment to remain clutter free. Commenting on the 4K VPL-VW500ES home cinema projector and the Full HD 3D VPL-HW55ES, Tak Nakane, Product Manager at Sony Europe said: “The VPL-VW500ES brings the cinema experience into the home like never before and reinforces Sony’s commitment to lead in 4K innovation from lens to living room. Innovations such as Sony’s 4K SXRD panels provide unrivalled picture quality at high resolution to make the 4K dream a more affordable reality. The addition of the VPL-HW55ES provides a premium 3D home cinema experience and expands the product range our customers can choose from.” Both the VPL-VW500ES and the VPL-HW55ES are available from the end of October. For further information about these projectors, please visit Hall 4.2 at the IFA event in Berlin or visit www.sony.co.uk/pro/products/fpjhomecinema.

We don’t advise that you hold up banks and armored cars in real life, but “Payday 2” will come pretty close to letting you live out your heist-related fantasies. “Payday 2,” the sequel to “Payday” — a shooter where you’re part of a squad of bank robbers — was put on display at E3 2013. Here’s what we learned about “Payday 2,” which is being developed by Overkill Software and slated for a late August release for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

“Payday 2” will feature five times the amount of missions that were included in “Payday.” Unlike the original game, “Payday 2” will give players the option to play with either a stealthy or action-oriented approach, which was not the case in “Payday.”

“Payday 2” will also include RPG elements. While many details weren’t offered regarding RPG features, we imagine that they’ll likely have to do with experience gain and skill growth. There will be multiple types of heists you can attempt in “Payday 2,” ranging from banks to jewelry stores.

In “Payday 2,” you can either grab the minimum amount of loot required to complete the heist, or you can stick around the target and try to grab as much as you can without getting busted. Each of these approaches comes with its risks and rewards. You can also leave members of your crew behind while still completing a heist, but your payday (get it?) will be lower than it would have been had you not left any mates back. You’ll be able to use your winnings to upgrade weapons, buy new masks and more.